Reserved Parking Space
by Furtively Lethargic
Summary: Mary-Lynnette Carter needed a parking space and accidentally stole Ash Redfern's. They were both late; but things ended up quite nicely.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

* * *

><p><strong>Reserved Parking Space<strong>

"No, no, no," Mary-Lynnette chanted under her breath as she glanced at her truck's clock. She was so late for her interview! Well, not really- but still. Oh no, oh no . . . but the problem wasn't traffic. It was trying to find a damned _parking space_.

It sounds like she's exaggerating when she says that she has been trying to find a parking space for nearly an hour now; but she's being completely honest. The city she's in is a few miles from Briar Creek. And because it was a city near Briar Creek and other small towns, it was _packed_ when the season of spring and summer hits.

Anyway, her interview is at 11:30AM. And it was now . . . 11:26AM. She left Briar Creek an hour and a half earlier, hoping to have some extra time to get some food or coffee from a city restaurant. But Mary-Lynnette ended up using all her time driving from Briar Creek and trying to find a parking space.

"Why does it have to be crowded today?" Mary-Lynnette asked herself, annoyed. She hit the brakes just as she spotted a parking a few hundred feet from her. The car in front of her- which, by the way, was the source of her sudden stillness- pulled in the vacant parking space she saw.

"Damn you," she muttered and scouted around the parking lot for the umpteenth time.

That was the fifth time a car (or, rather, a person) stole her parking space! "God, God . . . _please_. I'll be good for the rest of the year. I'll work hard. Just give me a parking space and I'll be really good," Mary-Lynnette whispered desperately, looking around for a parking space.

And, as if God answered her pleas, she spied an empty parking space- not heeding the signs around it (in this case, _on_ it).

Quickly, Mary-Lynnette pulled in the parking space and murmured a close-to-tearful thanks to the heavens. Just as she slipped out of her truck, a car honked behind her and she jumped; her nerves jittery.

Mary-Lynnette, thinking that the car was probably not honking at _her_, began to walk away when she heard a man exclaim, "Hey! Hey you! That's my parking spot!"

Immediately, she halted in her tracks and turned around, eyes narrowed at the ash-blonde haired man behind her truck. "Excuse me, but are you talking to _me_?"

The man nodded, his eyes focused intently on her. "Yes. Who else could I be talking to?"

"Well, I'm sorry. But I have an important interview-"

"And I have to interview someone!" the man interrupted, glaring at her. "And, if you haven't noticed, the parking spot you stole is _reserved_. Under my name."

Mary-Lynnette clenched her teeth together and walked back to her truck. When she read the sign she accidentally ignored, her jaw almost dropped. "Redfern?"

"_Ash_ Redfern, actually," the man- Ash- said, observing her curiously. Her expression shifted from anger to astonishment. He wondered why. He was surprised to see the look of bashfulness on her face as well. Perfect with dark red cheeks and furrowed eyebrows. "Well?"

"S-sorry. I'm . . . Mary-Lynnette," she said (Ash hoped that she would move her truck, but she misunderstood his one-worded demand). Mary-Lynnette wished that Mr. Redfern (Ash) wouldn't know that she's the one _he_'s interviewing.

"Carter? Mary-Lynnette Carter?" Ash asked, his eyes brighting up amusedly. So that would explain the change of attitude, he thought with a mental smirk.

Her blush darkened, if possible, and she nodded; bowing her head apologetically. "Yes, that would be me." Mary-Lynnette shuffled her feet. "Um. I'm sorry for taking your spot-"

He waved his large hand dismissively. "No worries. Oh, and you can cut the crap."

Her eyes widened, her whole face going red. "I'm really sorry."

A car honked behind Ash's car. The handsome Redfern scowled and turned around. "What? Can't you see I'm interviewing a lady?" he exclaimed loudly. The car simply honked. The color of his eyes appeared to change and blazed with his irritation. He turned back to Mary-Lynnette.

"Because we officially met a minute ago, how does coffee sound? I can interview there," he paused and winked, "but I'm liking you already."

Mary-Lynnette smiled shyly and nodded. "Of course. When and where should we meet?" she asked as politely as she could. The brunette couldn't seem to maintain a business-like air around him since she was just arguing with him a few minutes ago.

Maybe I should've rephrased my question more professionally, Mary-Lynnette thought when she saw Ash's smirking face.

When she asked that question, Ash thought amusedly, she sounded like she was asking me out. Pushing the thought to the back of his head, he replied with, "Starbuck's at the mall. Meet me there in ten."

Watching her nod, Ash climbed inside his car just as the car behind him honked once again. He was tempted to flip the driver off for his impatience but he decided against it. The beautiful Mary-Lynnette would probably disapprove of that action.

Before climbing in her truck, the brunette sent him a friendly smile- still with the blush on her cheeks. "See you there!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hey guys~ I know I have things to update and I know that I should be working on them . . . but. :I Well, you know me. Or kinda know me. This was supposed to be part of the NW Spring collection one-shots I was planning to make during my spring break (think of my other collection [?], "Dog Days of Summer" when I updated everyday for one week . . .). So yep. I'm sure I'll be able to update tons and tons in the break and, of course, in the summer so- happy smile! :)

**Domo arigato mina-san~** I totally appreciate whatever you did for this story! Thank you, thank you! *bows gratefully*

**Review?** Thank you, thank you! :")


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.

* * *

><p><strong>Reserved Parking Space<strong>

The interview went well and, soon, Mary-Lynnette found herself in the position of Ash's secretary. And possible lover (insert blush).

Maybe, Mary-Lynnette thought as she turned towards the direction of the usually-crowded-building, I'm just overthinking things. She tends to do that . . . a _lot_. The brunette pushed the thoughts away as she pulled in a vacant space, trying not to squirm because she was going to see her boss again. Mary-Lynnette sees him daily now (and he never fails to give her flirtatious looks too) . . . but she's just not used to seeing such a handsome man. Every damn day.

Anyway, Mary-Lynnette rushed up to the building, squeezing herself through the people blocking her way and slipped in the elevator. It was then that she realized that she wasn't supposed to go to the building. She was supposed to go somewhere _else_ because there was a meeting Ash needed to attend.

And she realized this when her phone rang.

"Mary-Lynnette Carter," she greeted in a murmur. Deep inside, the young lady was becoming frantic. What if this is _Ash_ she's talking to?

"Hey."

Apparently, the fates didn't care about her feelings at the moment.

"A- Mr. Redfern, what's the problem?" she asked, watching as a two people filed out of the elevator. There were five left now- excluding her. She's going to have one heck of an elevator ride.

"I'm probably going to be late because of traffic right now," he said lazily. "Could you tell them to go ahead and start the meeting without me? And could you take some notes about some shit they're talking about?" he asked.

"You don't have to ask, sir," she said, already used to his choice of words.

"And you don't have to call me all that fancy nicknames. I'm _Ash_. God, woman," he said. Mary-Lynnette could practically feel him rolling his eyes. They were probably a different shade of color right now . . .

At this, Mary-Lynnette wondered whether or not she should tell her boss that she's not at the _right_ building yet. That she went inside the wrong building, thinking it was a normal day.

Thank God the destination was near. Just a mile or so from here. She decided not to tell him.

"Right, whatever you say . . . _Ash_," she said slowly. Uncertainly. Mary-Lynnette watched four of the people in the elevator step out on the fifth floor.

"Alright, M'lin," he said, a smile evident in his voice, "I think I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Ah," she murmured, waiting for the lady in the tight pencil skirt to get off the next floor. Mary-Lynnette hoped that the elevator would move faster. "I'll see you there then."

"You don't have to wait up, sweetheart," he said, chuckling. He didn't even let her reply and simply said, "See ya."

That idiot, she thought as the lady moved off the elevator. Mary-Lynnette pressed the G button, for the elevator to take her to the ground floor.

Nearly ten minutes later, Mary-Lynnette was walking down the parking lot to drive her truck to that stupid building. How could she have forgotten to go there? In her mind, she knew that Ash was the reason she forgot to go there. _He_ was her distraction. In fact, he's probably the only one who could distract her from star-gazing at night . . .

The brunette quickly pulled out of the parking space and drove her truck out of the parking lot. Five minutes later, Mary-Lynnette drove in another parking lot and muttered a few words under her breath, seeing as the place is fucking _crowded_ and she was already running late. Again.

Finally, she saw a spot and quickly took the spot, ignoring the car who was already (slowly, in her opinion) moving towards it.

She jumped out of her truck, fixed her half-inch heels and straightened before a honk stopped her from behind. Well, actually, it was a _voice_ who stopped her from behind.

"Who knew you'd take my spot again?" Ash asked, almost laughing at the irony of it.

"I- I-" Mary-Lynnette turned around and blushed, biting her lip to stop the small smile.

Indeed, she _did_ take his parking space again.

"Next time," he said as he smiled at her, "We should just use one car." With that, he winked and found another parking spot.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **This is dedicated to Eve~ ;) Advanced happy birthday cousin! *hearts*

I hope ya'll liked that. I know, I know. NO KISSES? Yeah, well. If I was making a multi-chapter about them, about THIS, then they'd kiss . . . in the future chapters. xD

**Thanks so much guys!** For the reviews and everything! One last thing . . . **review**?


End file.
